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Waikato Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 2668, 23 July 1891, Page 2

TliK preserving of rabbits is becoming :tn important industry in Otago. Several factories have boon estab lishod, and as showing the benefit tbey are to the districts in which they carry on their operations, both as :i means of minimising the evil effects of the rabbit nuisance, and at the same time affording employment to a large number of hands, the following particulars of the Clinton factory will prove interesting. This factory receives about 2000 carcases per day, During the month of April 00,000 rabbits wore received, producing 40,000 21b. tins, which are exported to London, and realise about 6d per lb. The skins are expected to bring Iμ Gd pur lb ; allowing six skins to the lb., this would add £750 to the £2000 obtaiuod for the tinned meat. There are 60 men employed in the factory, and about 120 engaged as rabbiters. £2,750 per month circulated in a small country township like Clinton has a salutary effect on the general business of the town, as well as being a great benefit to the 200 hands regularly engaged by the fastory. A trial shipment of frozen rabbits has been sent Homo, but the returns are not yet to hand. Fresh rabbits average about Is -Id per head in the London market, and there is an increasing demand. The price paid for full-grown rabbits by the Southern factories is about 3d or -Id per head. It is therefore expected that the export of frozen rabbits will be found even more remunerative than cunning them. There is a fly in the ointment, however. Poisoning of rabbits by phosphorus is generally carried on during tho winter months. This, whilst not compulsory by law, is carried out under the direction of rabbit inspectors, whose duty it is t~> see that some effective means are employed by land-ownftrs to keep the pest within bounds, and poisoning has hitherto been regarded as the most effectual method of accomplishing this. Public opinion is, how ever, against this method being carried out this year, believing and rightly, that the factories will have a greater effect in inducing tins numbers of rabbits than the wasteful practice of poisoning. Should poisoning be insisted upon by the inspectors, the cfl'e-jt would bo to stop tho factories, for if tin." slightest hint were to roach the British i-onsumer that tho rabbits were trapped in districts whero poison had been laid, the trade would be lost at mice, and pwhaps never regained. Government has been lpquisitioned on the matter, and it is believed that poisoning will not be enforced in factory districts this winter. A Mr A. McDonald, in a letter to a Duuedin paper protesting against the layiug of poison, hazards the opinion that rabbits will vet bo farmed in New Zealand as they art- on the Coutiuuut of Europe, and that in many districts they will be found to pay far butter than sheep.